Cellular cigarette package



April 30, 1963 M. B. DAVIS CELLULAR CIGARETTE PACKAGE Filed Oct. 28,1960 INVENTOR fi Iz'Ke 5.1)avzls United States Patent 3,087,609 CELLULARCIGARETTE PACKAGE Mike B. Davis, Fort Leavenworth, Kans. (22 ShepherdRoad, Malvern, Pa.) Filed Oct. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 65,872 3 Claims. (Cl.206-56) (Granted under Title 35, US. Code (1952), sec. 266) Theinvention described herein, if patented, may be manuiactured and used byor tor the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment tome of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates primarily to cigarette packages.

One of the objects of the invention consists in providing variablesized, inexpensive cigarette packages and cartons to replaceconventional packages.

A further object of the invention consists in providing a package formedof a plurality of individual units which may be readily detached fromthe main package, or from which the items may be individually extractedwithout such detachment.

Another object of the invention consists in the provision of a packagewhich will maintain the freshness of each cigarette, and protect it frommoisture, etc., until it is removed from its individual compartment.

Other objects :and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one of the novel packages composed ofa strip of ten cells having laterally extending pull-tabs;

FIGURE 2 is an edge view of the cellular package of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view through a rectangular package oftwenty cells similar to the package of FIGURE .1 but showing thepull-tabs bent into parallel relationship with the cells;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of a cellular rectangular packagecomposed of four S-cell strips comprising twenty compartments; and

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a composite package of 200 cigarettes,composed of packages, such as shown in FIGURE 4.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and by reference numerals,the individual cells for inclosing the individual cigarettes areindicated by the numeral 1, and are preferably formed of transparentplastic .material, such as polyester or polyethylene, or equivalents.The coating for these cells, indicated by the numeral 2, which serves torender them moisture-proof, may be a vinylidene chloride acrylonitrilecopolymer or equivalent, and will serve as an adhesive when heat andpressure are applied. These cells may be formed in various ways; forinstance, by extruding a continuous strip and cutting it to cigarettelengths. Moreover, while the cells are shown as being rectangular incross section, they may be of other cross-sectional shapes, if desired.

These individual cells may be connected to form packages, such as thelO-cell package shown in FIGURE 1, the '2i0 cell narrow package shown insection in FIGURE 3, or the 20-cell substantially square package shownin FIGURE 4, and a plurality of the latter may be connected together toform a carton of 200 cigarettes, as shown in FIGURE 5. The individualcells formed in packages may be united in parallel relationship by meansof an adhesive, or by heat and pressure, as mentioned above.

After the cells have received their cigarettes or commodities, the lowerends are sealed by strips 3, and the upper ends by strips 4. Each ofthese strips is preferably formed of the same transparent plasticmaterial of which the bodies of the cells are formed, and is coated inthe same way. These strips are secured to the ends of the cells afterthe latter are arranged in the packages shown in the various figures. InFIGURE 1, the strip has a length corresponding to the width of ten ofthe cells. Here, also the securing means may be adhesive or by heat andpressure.

The strips 4 are preferably scored or weakened on their under side atthe junctures of the several cells, as indicated by the numeral 5,thereby providing individual closures for each cell. Each of theseclosures is provided with a pull-tab 6 which facilitates manual removalof the closures. In FIGS. 1 and 3, these pull-tabs are shown asextending horizontally, but it will be readily understood that they maybe bent down to contact the sides of the cells, as shown in FIGURE 3.

Reverting to the substantially square package of FIG- URE 4, whichconsists of four rows of 5-cell strips adhesively connected together, orconnected by heat and pressure, if desired, the two outer cell stripsare inverted so that the pull-tabs are shown at the bottom of thepackage while the lower strips 3 are shown at the top, and the innercell strips are arranged in upright position so that their closures andpull-tabs 6 are shown at the upper end of the package.

To form the composite package 7 shown in FIGURE 5, ten of thesesubstantially square packages are secured together side-by-side, and maybe peeled off from the body of the composite package, just as theindividual cells of the various packages may be peeled 01f one-byone. Ifdesired, however, the individual cells may be opened by means ofpull-tabs 6 to release a cigarette without removing the cells from thebody of the package.

The packaging of cigarettes in the manner described above has manyadvantages. In the first place, the expense of a carton is eliminated.Second, the number of cigarettes in a package may be varied withoutcostly changes in the manufacturing process. Third, each individualcigarette remains fresh in its cell until it is removed for consumption.Fourth, the individual cigarettes are invulnera'ble to moisture,perspiration, etc., until they are removed for use. Fifth, eachindividual cigarette is protected against the hazards of chemical,bacteriological, radiological, and fallout contamination until thecigarette is removed from its cell. In addition to the foregoingadvantages, it may be mentioned that cigarettes of different brands andaromas can be contained in the same package without danger ofcrossflavoring. Also, empty cell strips may be separated from full cellstrips and discarded, thereby reducing the size of the cigarette packageas the cigarettes are consumed. A still further advantage of thecellular package disclosed herein resides in the fact that various typesof cigarettes in the same package allow for greater choice of cigarettesin brand and flavor, since by varying the type of cigarettes containedin adjacent cell strips, a person can peel ofi and exchange cell stripswith someone having cell strips containing other brands of cigarettes.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I nowconsider to be the preferred forms of the invention, but since variousminor changes may be made in structural details without departing fromthe spirit of the invention, it is intended that all such changes beincluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pack-age for cigarettes, comprising a plurality of individualopen-ended cells detachably connected together in side-by-side relation,each of said cells having four rectangular side walls of a widthsubstantially corresponding to the diameter of a cigarette, and each ofsaid cells being formed of transparent plastic material and coated witha moisture-proof coating, and a pair of elongated strips of plasticmaterial similarly coated, one at each end of said package, and eachstrip sealing the plurality of end openings of the cells at itsrespective end, and at least one of said strips being transverselyweakened at the junctures of the cells to provide a detachable endclosure for each cell and to facilitate individual detachment of saidcell and of the single cigarette contained in said cell.

2. A package according to claim 1, wherein each said detachable endclosure is provided with a pull-tab.

3. A package according to claim 1, wherein said moisture-proof coatingis vinylidene chloride.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSBaldwin May 8, Miller Jan. 16, Rosenthal Dec. 4, Hultin Nov. 20,Brownfield Nov. 5, Johnson Aug. 12, Shelly Jan. 27, Rodnon May 5, Kelleret a1. Jan. 17,

1. A PACKAGE FOR CIGARETTES, COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUALOPEN-ENDED CELLS DETACHABLY CONNECTED TOGETHER IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION,EACH OF SAID CELLS HAVING FOUR RECTANGULAR SIDE WALLS OF A WIDTHSUBSTANTIALLY CORRESPONDING TO THE DIAMETER OF A CIGARETTE, AND EACH OFSAID CELLS, BEING FORMED OF TRANSPARENT PLASTIC MATERIAL AND COATED WITHA MOISTURE-PROOF COATING, AND A PAIR OF ELONGATED STRIPS OF PLASTICMATERIAL SIMILARLY COATED, ONE AT EACH END OF SAID PACKAGE, AND EACHSTRIP SEALING THE PLURALITY OF END OPENINGS OF THE CELLS AT ITSRESPECTIVE END, AND AT LEAST ONE OF SAID STRIPS BEING TRANSVERSELYWEAKENED AT THE JUNCTURES OF THE CELLS TO PROVIDE A DETACHABLE ENDCLOSURE FOR EACH CELL AND TO FACILITATE INDIVIDUAL DETACHMENT OF SAIDCELL AND OF THE SINGLE CIGARETTE CONTAINED IN SAID CELL.